Team Sky has secured a landmark 200th UCI win after Elia Viviani sprinted to victory on stage three at the Tour of Britain.
The win on home soil saw Team Sky reach the double century after six seasons on the road which have brought success across the globe.
For Viviani the victory represented a proud moment, both in his career and that of the team. "It's a really special win, to be both here at the Tour of Britain and also taking the 200th victory for the team," he explained. "It's fantastic and it's a great result for the team over six years.
"I joined the team this year and it had been my dream to ride for Team Sky. I am really proud to wear the jersey, so to get this win at the Tour of Britain is amazing. We're a British team and there are so many people on the roadside cheering us on.
"I'm really proud of all my team-mates. The staff and the organisation is amazing. The coaching and the whole team is the best and I hope to stay here for a long time. I'm really proud to be a part of this team."
Making its world debut at the start of the 2010 season, Team Sky won its first ever race after Greg Henderson sprinted to victory at the Cancer Council Helpline Classic in Adelaide, leading home a team 1-2 with Chris Sutton. The team only had to wait a matter of days for its first UCI victory, with Sutton winning stage six of the Tour Down Under following another dominant sprint.
Sutton, one of six riders to have ridden every season with the team, remembers the feeling of taking that first victory. "It's one that sticks in the head," said the Australian. "We wanted to hit the ground running and it was big for us as a new team.
"The team did an awesome job. I just remember the lead-out and how we all rode together. It was such a perfect job - like clockwork. I was leading out Greg Henderson and I just put my head down and went when I stepped off Ben Swift with about 250 metres to go. We'd been knocking on the door all week. I waited for Hendy and the sprinters to come around my wheel and nobody did. As I looked up I saw the finish line was right there!
"Being in the team from the beginning it's been great to watch. The team's obviously changed a lot and the way everyone is racing now it's pretty incredible. I remember Chris Froome was part of that team in 2010 Down Under and to have watched him progress and win the Tour de France twice is really something. To still be a part of the best team in the world six years on is pretty special."
The team's most successful season to date was a 2012 campaign which yielded an impressive 50 victories, including an astounding six stage wins and overall success at the Tour de France.
UCI victory count:
2010: 22
2011: 32
2012: 50
2013: 35
2014: 25
2015: 36 (to date)
First UCI victory: Tour Down Under: stage six - Adelaide (Chris Sutton, 24/01/2010)
50th UCI victory: British National Time Trial Championship (Alex Dowsett, 04/09/2011)
100th UCI victory: Grand Prix de Montreal (Lars Petter Nordhaug, 09/09/2012)
150th UCI victory: Tour de Romandie: stage five - Neuchatel (Chris Froome, 04/05/2014)
200th UCI victory: Tour of Britain: stage three - Floors Castle (Elia Viviani, 08/09/2015)
First one-day classic victory: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (Juan Antonio Flecha, 27/02/2010)
First Grand Tour stage win: Giro d'Italia: stage one - Amsterdam ITT (Bradley Wiggins, 08/05/2010)
First stage race GC victory: Tour de Picardie (Ben Swift, 16/05/2010)
First Grand Tour victory: Tour de France (Bradley Wiggins, 22/07/2012)
31 riders have taken a victory for Team Sky to date in 22 countries
Most victories for Team Sky:
Chris Froome: 28 wins
Edvald Boasson Hagen: 24 wins
Bradley Wiggins: 24 wins
Richie Porte: 17 wins
Mark Cavendish: 15 wins
Team Sky totals:
210 days spent in a leader's jersey
23 Grand Tour stage wins
563 podium finishes
18 national titles
Jon-Anders BEKKEN 26 years | today |
André VITAL 42 years | today |
Jorge CASTEL 36 years | today |
Malcolm LANGE 51 years | today |
Michael VINK 33 years | today |
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